Raven
History Rough beginnings Elizabeth was destined for the ways of the thief. Her father Jacob was the leader of a crime network almost as old as Gilneas itself. Boasting the title of ‘The Raven,’ Jacob Fairfax had a hand in everything shady that went on in the city, and ruled the shadow lords with a firm hand and a keen mind. When it came time for the Raven to take a bride, keeping the Fairfax line alive and to bear a child to take on the mantle of the Raven later in life, Jacob had his pick of women from every crime monarch in the city. There was vicious competition among the families, but out of the blue Jacob chose his bride from one of the lesser families-Maria Dewalt. Their union brought to the world three children. The twins, David and Rosie, each showed…little potential or aspiration to become the next crime lord. Elizabeth, however, seemed to be perfect the moment she was born. She had her father’s fiery hair, cheeky grin, and affinity for trouble. She had her mother’s calculating violet eyes, passionate sense of love, and quick ability to learn. She was the best of both of her parents, and instantly they knew she would rule Gilneas in the years to come. Then, the city fell to siege. Elizabeth was barely old enough to remember it, mere flashes in her memory now. The family ran away, to the outlying towns and hiding away in the woods along the road. Nomadic life For a few years, they were content to stay in the Silverpine Forest, where Elizabeth trained with her father, honing her skills as a thief. She of course grew up with her mother and siblings, but the bond she had with her father was unshakable. He brought her on small jobs, minor burglaries and a few pickpocket jobs, as early as seven years old. He taught her how to survive in meager surroundings, how to keep her steps lighter than a feather, and how to wield a blade. Unbeknownst to her, Jacob was all the while dodging the various crime lords that wanted him dead to take the name of ‘Raven’ for themselves. While on the road, fleeing from these vengeful assassins, Elizabeth met Dusk. A tiny Gilnean Raven, barely old enough to fly, about to be devoured by a massive bird of prey. Elizabeth couldn’t stand for the death of such a pitiful creature, and for the first time ever…drew blood with her knife. That moment is where she gained both the large talon dagger that now hangs at her hip, and the best friend of her life. Dusk was nursed back to health, and has since been trained by Elizabeth how to be the best thieving bird there is. Stormwind Inbound Jacob Fairfax always told his family of Stormwind-of those high walls and full pockets, a place where they could be safe, so long as they stayed under the eyes of the law. Once the attempts at his life grew too close for comfort, he decided to play into these lies and take his family to the fortress of the Lions. The road there, however, was more dangerous than he anticipated. They had to stay off the road to avoid assassins, but encountered other troubles. Bandits, gnolls, even wandering ogres threatened to strike them down at any moment. Then, in the Burning Steppes, trouble finally caught up with them. As the assassins grew closer, Maria decided to be the headstrong one for a change. She insisted the group split up, the twins at her side and Elizabeth with her father. With great reluctance Jacob agreed, and carried his daughter through the scorching wasteland. Even with his skills, he couldn’t outrun them forever. So…he made a tough decision. He held Elizabeth close, pressed his dagger in her hand, and bolted off, towards the assassins after telling her to run fast and never look back. She doesn’t know what became of her father…except that he promised to find her in Stormwind. = Street Rat = Life in Stormwind was, for Elizabeth, an initial challenge. Her first few days were met with a different environment than she’d grown up with; this was no small village where coin was easy to come by and the guard were outnumbered by livestock. This place had order of the highest form, under the watchful eyes of justice. Still, she made do. Stealing small trinkets, the loosest of coin purses, and whatever unconscious drunkards had in their pockets while passed out in the taverns. She did well enough for herself to survive, but she was distracted. Her father never came, not even after a month. Neither had her mother. Many nights were spent stubbornly trying not to cry before drifting to sleep behind the crates in an alleyway. She made no friends, trusted no charity, and stirred up a lot of trouble. When she met the Caravan, she was more than hesitant at first. Whatever they wanted with this dingy street rat, she didn’t know. They told her that her skills had caught their eyes, and promised that she would be far safer, and far happier, surrounded by people she could trust. Maybe it was a longing for her family again. Maybe it was the rumbling of her stomach after a few jobs went wrong. Maybe it was the desperate look of Dusk, who’s intelligent eyes seemed to urge her to move forward. For whatever reason, she accepted. She hopes she doesn’t have to look back. Abilities: · Stealth · Agility · Pickpocketing · Lockpicking · Dagger mastery · Surprising cunning · Quick learning Dusk: Dusk is a dingy, scrawny Gilnean raven, and Raven’s best friend. Like her owner, Dusk possess a remarkable cunning and ability to learn with little difficult. She and Raven often perform jobs where one acts as the distraction, while the other swoops in to steal the shiny trinket they want. Raven can communicate with Dusk quite easily, as if the two shared a language no other knew. Stubborn as her owner, Dusk refuses to clean or preen herself. She quite likes the way her dingy feathers feel, even if no other bird could understand it. She’s rather mistrusting of strangers, though will give in if they offer food. Even then, she’ll still bite and puff her feathers, for a good long while.